Ethiopia, 1 November 2025 — Ethiopia has completed one of its largest urban renewal undertakings as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed toured the newly developed corridor linking Sar Bet to German Square through the Garment Factory and Furi districts in Addis Ababa.
Spanning nearly 590 hectares, the project marks a new phase in Addis Ababa’s transformation and stands as the second-largest redevelopment effort after the Kazanchis urban complex.
It features more than 16 kilometres of asphalt roads, three kilometres of internal links, and a network of pedestrian walkways totaling about 33 kilometres.
The area has been redesigned as a mixed-use urban hub. It now includes open plazas, children’s playgrounds, and sports and recreational zones, along with improved riverbanks stretching for five kilometres. The site also hosts parking facilities, public-transport terminals, and Ethiopia’s first dedicated electric-vehicle charging station. Over 1000 commercial outlets were built through joint public-private investment schemes aimed at stimulating local entrepreneurship.
More than 50 hectares of landscaped green space and dedicated bicycle routes run through the corridor, providing shade and mobility options that align with Addis Ababa’s new master plan for sustainable city design.
The integration of taxi and bus terminals further reflects the government’s push for an efficient, eco-friendly urban transport model.
Speaking during his visit, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the corridor initiative illustrates Ethiopia’s new urban-development philosophy — one that links economic growth with livable spaces.
He stressed that the national corridor projects across the capital and other cities are designed to “revive local economies, ease mobility, and build vibrant social environments for citizens.”
Urban planners see the completed corridor as a prototype for future development zones intended to connect residential, commercial, and green areas into a single, accessible network — redefining the rhythm of city life in Addis Ababa.